DAVID KILLINGER FROM CHIPPEHAM INVOLVED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE AT SWINDON COLLEGE

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the local community, David Killinger, a college lecturer from Stanton St Quintin near Chippenham, was found to have stored an alarming number of indecent images of children on his personal computer. Despite the severity of the evidence, Killinger has not been barred from working with children, a decision that has raised questions about the handling of his case.

Killinger, aged 61, is currently suspended from his teaching position at Swindon College. The court proceedings revealed that he had accumulated more than 5,000 illicit images, including photographs and at least one video depicting young girls on the verge of puberty. The magnitude of his digital collection was described as a significant and disturbing hoard of illegal material.

During the hearing at Swindon Crown Court, Judge Euan Ambrose stated that it was inappropriate for him to decide whether Killinger should be banned from working with children. Instead, he deferred the decision to the college authorities, emphasizing that it was a matter for their disciplinary process. The judge explicitly mentioned that he would not pre-empt their judgment, leaving the matter of employment status unresolved at this stage.

Prosecutor Lynne Henderson provided details of how the police became involved. She explained that the investigation was initiated at the beginning of the previous year after Killinger’s wife grew suspicious of his computer activity. She observed him acting furtively while using his computer and compiled a list of websites he had visited. When police officers questioned Killinger, he initially claimed there was nothing on his computer. However, subsequent examination revealed a disturbing collection of images.

The police found a total of 5,135 indecent images, along with one video, all depicting young girls near puberty in sexually provocative poses and attire. Additionally, they discovered over 7,000 other images of children that, while not classified as illegal, still raised serious concerns. Killinger was arrested in February of the previous year, shortly after his retirement from his full-time role at Swindon College. At the time, he was working only part-time.

In his defense, Killinger explained that he had been searching for pictures of a girl named ‘Sandra,’ whom he claimed resembled his wife when they first met. He admitted to obtaining images of the girl when she was underage, along with other photographs of young girls. He stated that he had attempted to organize some of these images into files to facilitate their deletion but failed to remove all of them, partly because his wife entered his office while he was in the process.

Killinger pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possession. His lawyer, Rachel Drake, argued that her client was seeking images of a girl who looked like his wife when she was 17 or 18, and that many of the images were in thumbnail form, which is common in cases involving large quantities of digital images. She emphasized that Killinger had worked at the college teaching students with learning difficulties, ranging from 16-year-olds to adults in their forties, and there had never been any suggestion that he posed a risk to young people in his professional environment.

The court heard that at the time of the offenses, Killinger was experiencing personal difficulties, including a troubled marriage. He had been prescribed antidepressants but had not taken them. Since then, he has reconciled with his wife. Judge Ambrose sentenced Killinger to a three-year community order, requiring him to attend a sex offenders’ program, pay costs of £300, and register as a sex offender for five years. The judge highlighted the disturbing nature of the images, noting that they depicted children in provocative poses and clothing, and that the total collection on his computer was far larger than what was presented in court, indicating a significant and troubling pattern of behavior.